Bears' DJ Moore Says He Tweaked Ankle In Viral Video of WR Walking Off Field Mid-Play

As the noise continues to grow around the struggling Chicago Bears, wide receiver DJ Moore addressed a situation where he took himself off the field as a play was still unfolding during Sunday's 29-9 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

"Tweaked the ankle," he told reporters Wednesday. "I was coming back because I'd seen Caleb [Williams] was scrambling. My ankle went in and out. I was already—couldn't stop so my momentum took me out of bounds and then I just walked off. The noise, I hear it, seen it. Really didn't care. It is what it is."

Head coach Matt Eberflus was also asked about the situation Wednesday and told reporters he believed it was because of a rolled ankle, adding "that's what I saw and that's what it was."

There is a certain strategy involved in Moore removing himself from the field if he cannot make a play because of his injury. With Williams still scrambling, the quarterback may have quickly thrown it to Moore not realizing the receiver was struggling.

Still, the play generated plenty of discussion on social media, especially among Bears fans who are frustrated with the team's two consecutive losses and 4-4 record after a promising 4-2 start.

Moore has just 37 catches for 374 yards and three touchdowns through eight games this season and doesn't seem to have the same chemistry with Williams as he did with Justin Fields. While this is his first year working with the rookie, the 2023 campaign was his first working with Fields and he still posted 96 catches for 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns.

He also publicly advocated for Chicago to bring Fields back in 2024, but the team instead traded the quarterback to the Pittsburgh Steelers and drafted Williams No. 1 overall.

"Just reps," Moore told reporters Wednesday when asked why he doesn't yet have the same chemistry with the team's current signal-caller. "Justin had more reps when I got here than me and Caleb have. It's just him being a rookie quarterback, and Justin wasn't a rookie quarterback last year."

Williams also addressed it.

"It's not in a place where we would like it," he said. "Both of us. It's frustrating because you've got a guy that's so special, and not being able to connect on certain passes is frustrating for myself, and I know it's frustrating for him … We gotta figure it out."

Things have trended in the wrong direction for Chicago ever since the Washington Commanders' Hail Mary in Week 8 dropped its record to 4-3 instead of 5-2.

Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was benched because he taunted the Washington fans as the play was going on, multiple players have publicly called out the coaching staff, the video of Moore has generated even more discourse and the team sits in last place in the NFC North.

Perhaps the upcoming game against the 2-7 New England Patriots will help turn things around because the Bears need a win.